First Grade

We have been out of school for 3 weeks, and I have to say that I truly miss my first graders!!!  I cannot wait to see their smiling faces on Monday, and be greeted with their warm hugs.  6 months ago, I’m not sure I would have ever imagined saying that.

I never thought I wanted to teach the younger grades.  Actually, I always thought I would teach middle grades.  12 year olds are a lot different than 6 year olds; well maybe not quite as different as I once thought.  But one thing that is much different is the content and expectations of the different aged students. 

One of the main reasons I never wanted to teach younger grades was because I felt the content was too simplistic.  That was ignorance.  There is nothing simplistic about teaching someone the fundamentals of reading and the concept of numbers.  Most of my students are progressing nicely in reading, but there are some in which I truly have to analyze why they have not understood the decoding concepts, and what I can do to help them understand.  It’s definitely challenging, and my perspective has changed drastically!

Teaching first grade has become more than teaching the abc’s, addition and subtraction, different modes of transportation, and other ‘simple’ concepts.  First grade is no longer a grade to me; it is a group of students.  First grade now has 23 names with beautiful faces attached to them.  It is a group of students that I have come to love very dearly.  They are a group of students in which I have a personal investment in their success.  I have goals for each one, and I celebrate their successes and encourage them in their struggles.  I love being my students’ teacher, and I think I would no matter what grade they were in.

Maybe I will teach middle grades someday, but for now I’m happy with Grade 1, and I wouldn’t have it any other way! J